Improvement in shells for rifled ordnance



HOUGHTON & DENISON.

Shell.

Patented June 1862.

Parent hatchiri. n. nonenromor HALIFl-xX, Ann 0. H. nnnisox, on BRATTLEBOROUGH,

VERMONT.

llVlPROVElWENT EN SHELLS F08 RlFLED ORDNANCE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,526 dated a line if], lit).

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that we, H. N. HOUGHTON, of Halifax, in the county of W'i-ndhani and State of Vermont. and G. H. DENISON, ofBrattleborongh, in the county of Windham and State of Vermont, have invented a new and useful Iniprovement in-Projectiles for Qrdnance; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, said drawing representing a central vertical sec- ,tion of an explosive projectile with our improvement.

This invention relates to the construction of the body of an elongated projectile of two or more pieces,wit-h interposed packingrings, a.the whole connected by a central scl'ewbolt,

which projects through the head of the projectile for the reception of awrench, by which it may be screwed up after the insertion of the projectile in the gun, for the purpose of drawing the said pieces together, and thereby so, expanding the packing-rings as to prevent windage in firing, and to make the packing enter the rifle-grooves in case of the gun being rifled.

It consists in the employment of the said screw as a fuse-tube by making it hollow for the reception of the fuse. Y

To enable others to make and use our invention, we will proceed to describe its construction and operation. I i

A and B are the two principal portions of the body, made. of cast-iron, the piece B forming the head and point of the projectile and the piece A the base, the latter fitting easily into the interior of the former, and the fitting parts being of cylindrical form, as shown at a a and b b. The larger and cylindrical portion of the exterior of the piece Bis of asize to enter loosely into the bore of the gun, and the piece A has a flange, (1, whose cylindrical exterior is of corresponding size. The piece A contains the chamber 0, for the reception of the gunpowder to produce the explosion.

c is a cast-iron ring, fitted easily to the cylindrical portion of the exterior of A in front of the flange d.

D and E are two packingrings fitted to the cylindrical portion of the exterior ofA-one between the front of the ring 0 and the rear end of B, and the other between the rear of the ,ring C and the front of the flange (I. These rings may be of soft metal or any other moderately flexible or yielding material.

' The ring D is represented asmade of heavy thicknesses, and the ringE is represented as of soft metal, having around its exterior a concave groove for the reception of twine or cord 9, of hemp or other fibrous material, which is wound upon it to prevent it from being torn asunder by centrifugal force or other agency, and being thereby caused to fly off at a short distance from the gun. The exteriors of these packing-rings when they are first applied to the projectile are slightly larger than the largest portions of the exteriors of A and B, and than the exterior of O, and just large enough to enable them to lit snugly but eusil y into the bore of the gun, to permit the projectile to be inserted in the gun from the muzzle without difficulty, in which. opcration'they center the body A l) O. The rear end of B, the front of the flange d, and the two ends of the ring U are beveled, as shown in the drawing, to make the intervening spaces wider toward the exterior of the projectile, and the packing-rings have their sides of corresponding form to fit ing or drawing together the parts A and B in a longitudinal direction. I

F is the screw-bolt which connects and holds the several parts of the projectile together, passing easily through without screwing into a central hole provided for it in the front of B and screwing into a. central tapped hole in the front of A. The head of this screw is shouldered to fit up to the end of the piece B socket-wrench provided in the rammer. By making this screw hollow, as indicated at e e, it is made to serve as a fuse-tube, and it may be fitted at the end with apercussion-cap or other contrivance for exploding the projectile by percussion.

The projectile may be transported in pieces and not put together till time for loading the gun, or may be transported with all its parts together. The packing-rings, if of absorbent material-likeD or the fibrous packing gmay be saturated with water, grease, or other lubricating'material.

In loading the gun the projectile is inserted leather, and may be composed of one or more the said spaces, such form enabling the packing-rings to be expanded more easily by forcof the body and squared for the reception of a y atthe muzzle .anc'i pushed home by therain home the rammer is turned to screw the bolt F into the piece A'for the purpose of drawing the part B farther on the part A, and so. compressing the paekingmings in adireotion peron the 'base of the pieoeA' drives it still farther r forward into B, and causes" a further comm'er, which is made to fit its head and the head of the bolt F, and when it has been pushed pressi'on'and expension in the di reetions above mentioned, and soprevents Windage and causes the packing to'so indent itself into the grooves .as to insure a rotary motion of the projeetile being produced by its discharge The only finishing'required for. this projeetile will be the. fitting of the boltand paleking-rings.

What we elaim 'es our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' The employment of the screw -bolt F, ap-

plied,es and for the purpose herein speoified, as

.a fuse-tube; substantial] y asherein described.-

11. N. HoUeHToN; o. 1-1. DEmsoN.

' Witnesses: V a '7 SAMUEL WILL AMS, R. W; CLARKE. 

